And I'm Only an Austrian
by MissQuaxoMistoffelees
Summary: Parts of the Sound of Music told from the point of view of an extra character. Not as boring as it sounds here. Three part oneshot if that makes any sense at all.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: This story is told from the point of view of a background character. It is not totally accurate, I know. If you have not seen the actual play (not the movie) some characters may be unfamiliar to you, but that won't effect the flow of the story at all. I apologize if some of the lines I quoted aren't quite right. I'm pretty sure there aren't any mistakes bad enough to cause any confusion. I hope you like it, and please review so I'll know what you think! (Disclaimer: I don't own Sound of Music.)**

**1. Let's Start at the Very Beginning…**

My name is Lorelei Schulz. I have lived most of my life in Austria. My family had a large estate at the base of the mountains. My closest friend was my sister, Agathe. She was older than I, but we were seldom found without each other. We shared the same love of music, and of the mountains.

My sister became acquainted with a gentleman by the name of Georg von Trapp. They fell in love, and were soon married. Georg was like a brother to me, and I loved him dearly as such. I spent much of my time with him and Agathe and their children, my nieces and nephews. It was one of the happiest times of my life.

Then, the scarlet fever broke out. My sister, Agathe… She died. I almost think it hit Georg harder than me. He seemed to grow older, stiffer, more stern and strict overnight. He pushed my out of his life entirely. Maybe it was because I reminded him too much of my sister. I don't know. I wasn't allowed to see him or the children. He isolated himself from his family as well. He spent much of his time in Vienna, in the company of one Baroness Elsa Schrader. The children were left in the care of governesses. However, they succeeded in driving then away. I was secretly proud of them. They inherited that spirit from their mother.

I only hoped that one day there will be a change…


	2. Chapter 2

**2. Let's Not Make Any Enemies…**

It seemed that my prayers had been answered. A new governess, Maria Rainer, had won over the children and brought music back to the Trapp Villa. Georg had even invited me to a grand party in honor of that Baroness Schrader. I don't think it was her fault I disliked her so much. I just couldn't stand the idea of Georg getting intimate with any woman who was so radically different from my sister.

The evening of the party finally came. I went with my escort, Admiral Ehren von Schreiber. He had been a captain when Georg was a lieutenant, and they had been promoted together.

The Villa was filled with music such as it had not been since the death of my sister. Georg came up to me the minute we stepped in the door.

"I'm sorry…" he began.

"There's nothing to forgive," I smiled.

Then he called the children over. Liesl and Friedrich knew me immediately. Louisa and Brigitta remembered me a little more faintly, and Kurt, Marta, and Gretl had no recollection of me at all. But they were all happy to see me, and glad they had a real aunt.

Then, the music started and Ehren wanted to dance. It was a waltz, my favorite, and it was terribly good fun to dance again. The children watched all the couples happily from the stairs. The waltz ended too soon, and I took Ehren's arm as the couples broke off to talk. We ran into and old friend of Ehren's and her husband. He was a stiff old German who didn't say much. We had just finished introductions when I heard a commotion behind me. I looked back over my shoulder to see what was the matter.

Herr and Frau Zeller were involved in a conversation with the Baron and Baroness Elberfeld.

"You have German blood, haven't you?" Zeller was saying.

"I'm not German, I'm Austrian!" the Baron retorted.

Frau Zeller and the Baroness left their husbands' arms and made cats' eyes at each other rather venomously. Frau Zeller had always been jealous of the Baroness. Neither couple noticed Georg walking slowly up to them. Herr Zeller hit the Baron on the shoulder, forcing him backwards, as the Baron raised his chin defiantly.

"There's going to be an Anschluss," Zeller growled, "I warned you and everyone like you! And that goes for our Captain…"

He trailed off as his wife noticed the captain and placed a hand on his shoulder warningly. Georg folded his arms and fixed Zeller with an even stare. The German backed away slightly.

"It's much more pleasant out on the terrace," Georg said in a tone that clearly meant this was not a suggestion.

"Thank you," Zeller muttered. With a parting glare at the Baron, he brushed past us and out the terrace doors.

The spell was broken. A smile returned to the faces of Georg and the Baron, and everyone went back to their conversations.

Ehren's friend shook her head.

"It's shameless, the way he displays the Austrian flag," she nodded towards were it was hung in the hall.

"Well, we are Austrian, aren't we, dear?" I said nervously.

"I am German, and so is my husband, and the Admiral," she said somewhat apologetically.

With a jolt, I realized that I was practically in enemy territory. I was the only Austrian on this side of the hall. I was surrounded by Nazi supporters! I felt a panic rising inside of me. I knew this was one area where I would get no support from Ehren. I placed my right hand on his shoulder.

"Seeing as I'm the only Austrian here…" I began.

I was interrupted as the orchestra began to play again. Thank God for the laendler! I left Ehren to dance is with his old friend. It was all I could do not to run to the other end of the hall, where the other true Austrians were. I watched the dance, and soon saw Frauline Maria trying to teach it to Friedrich. I smiled to myself as I watched the boy's fumbling steps. Then Georg stepped in and offered to show him the right way to do it. I wasn't sure if I was seeing things, but I thought I saw a look of love pass between Georg and Maria. They broke off suddenly before the dance was completely over. Georg seemed embarrassed and left the room.

The other couples broke off and moved to their ends of the hall. I watched as Ehren went over to talk to Herr Zeller. I turned away. As much as I loved him, his politics disgusted me. Soon I was approached by the Baron and Baroness Elberfeld, old friends of mine. I curtseyed to the Baron and he kissed my hand with a smile. We made light conversation in an attempt to counter the tense mood that hung over the party. Ehren soon came over to join us.

Suddenly, dear old Max Detweiler came rushing out of the kitchen.

"I found the cake!" he exclaimed amid laughter from both sides.

Baroness Schrader then called on the children to say goodnight to all of us with a song.

"_There's a sad sort of clanking  
From the clock in the hall  
And the bells in the steeple too.  
And up in the nursery an absurd little bird  
Is popping out to say cuckoo!  
Regretfully they tell us  
But firmly they compel us  
To say goodbye to you. _

So long  
Farewell  
Aufwiedersehn  
Goodnight-"

_"I hate to go and leave this pretty sight!"_ sang Marta and, curtseying to the Baroness and I, ran up the stairs.

_"So long  
Farewell  
Aufwiedersehn  
Adieu-"_

_"Adieu, adieu, to you and you and you!"_ sang Friedrich, bowing to the guests.

"_So long  
Farewell  
Au 'voire  
Aufwiedersehn-"_

_"I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne!"_ sang Liesl.

Max held out a glass to her.

"Yes?" she said hopefully.

"No," Georg replied.

The guests smiled and whispered to each other.

"_So long  
Farewell  
Aufwiedersehn  
Goodbye-"_

_"I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye. Goodbye!"_ sang Kurt, hitting a ridiculously high note at the end.

The hall dissolved in laughter.

_"I'm glad to go, I cannot tell a lie,"_ sang Brigitta.

_"I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly!" _sang Louisa.

They both dance up the stairs.

_"The sun has gone to bed and so must I," _sang little Gretl.

Liesl picked her up and carried her up the stairs.

"_So long Farewell  
Aufwiedersehn  
Goodbye-  
Goodbye-  
Goodbye-  
Goodbye-"_

_"Goodbye!" _we all sang.

Then Franz the butler appeared to announce dinner. Ehren stopped to congratulate Georg on how wonderful his children were. Then we went to the dining room. The guests were all smiles, but I could tell that a storm was coming, and it came all too soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**3. So Long, Farewell…**

It was the evening of the Salzburg Music Festival. A group of girls were just finishing a clogging routine. As I sat next to Ehren, I could tell that something was different. Ever since the Anschluss, everyone had been on edge and nervous.

We clapped as the girls finished. Max appeared.

"Thank you," he said, "And now, the Family von Trapp!"

Georg, Maria, and the children filed onstage. They sang the Do Re Mi song Maria was so fond of to thunderous applause. Then Friedrich ran offstage to get a chair and Max gave Georg his guitar. He sat down and began to sing:

"_Edelweiss, Edelweiss  
Every morning you greet me  
Small and white clean and bright  
You look happy to meet me"_

Watching Georg, I felt a pride I hadn't felt since the Anschluss, and also a terrible sadness.

"_Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow  
Bloom and grow forever  
Edelweiss, Edelweiss  
Bless my homeland forever._

_Edelweiss, Edelweiss  
Every morning …"_

Georg's voice broke and trailed off. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I broke down sobbing.

"_Small and white clean and bright-"_

I looked up. Maria and the children had begun to sing. Georg smiled and rejoined them on the next line:

"_You look happy to meet me-"_

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone stand up. It was Baron Elberfeld. He motioned to me, and I stood, too. Soon everyone was standing. I practically had to pull Ehren up by the collar, but in the end he was standing as well. We all sang:

"_Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow  
Bloom and grow forever  
Edelweiss, Edelweiss  
Bless my homeland forever."_

I believe this was the longest standing ovation I'd ever seen. Eventually, Max came and motioned for us to sit down.

"Thank you," he said, "Ladies and gentlemen; I have an announcement that concerns you. The festival competition has come to its conclusion, except of course we don't know yet what that conclusion will be. While the judges are putting their heads together, I think there should be an encore. This will be the last opportunity the von Trapps will have of singing together for a long, long time. Even now, officials are waiting in this auditorium to escort Captain von Trapp to his new command in the naval forces of the Third Reich."

The audience exploded with gasps and cries of shock and outrage. Ehren gave a stiff nod.

"Shame on you!" I hissed, elbowing him sharply in the ribs.

"That hurt," he muttered.

"It was supposed to, dear," I retorted, layering the last word with sarcasm.

"And so, ladies and gentlemen," Max finished, "The Family von Trapp again!"

They sang a reprise of the song the children had sung months ago at the party. They exited amid applause.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," said Max, "I have the decision of out distinguished judges. The fith award goes to… Hans Clappmann!"

Hans walked out with an enormous grin on his face. Max presented him with his prize, a cheese in red wax. I could hardly help laughing when his lederhosen came undone. Thankfully, he kept them up.

"The fourth award goes to… the Schnitzel Sisters!"

The clogging girls were presented with a string of sausages.

"Third prize goes to… Willi Ruef, the singing contortionist!"

He came onstage amid wild cheering with both ankles behind his head. Ironically enough, his prize was a giant pretzle.

"Second prize goes to… Fraulein Steiger, first soloist from St. Agatha's church!"

The fraulein came out bowing and smiling. Max handed her her prize of a jar of saurkraut. She shook his hand fiercely and kept bowing and smiling. Max finally recoverd his hand and had to push her offstage, bowing all the way.

"And now," he said, "The first award, the highest honor, goes to… the Family von Trapp!"

The audience applauded as they had never applauded before. But, the von Trapps did not appear.

"The Family von Trapp!" Max said again.

Still, nothing.

Ehren stood up and gestured furiously at the Nazi lieutenant.

"The Family von Trapp!"

This time the applause was hesitant and nervous.

"Where are they?" the lieutenant yelled.

"The von Trapps!" shouted a soldier.

A second soldier ran onto the stage.

"They're gone!" he cried.

The audience collectively lept to their feet.

"What?!" Herr Zeller exploded. He jumped onto the stage and grabbed Max by the front of his shirt.

"He's supposed to be in Bremerhaven!" he roared.

"Call headquarters!" the lieutenant ordered.

"Play something!" Max called to the orchestra director.

Ehren ran off to join the soldiers. In spite of that, and the choas around me, I couldn't help saying a prayer of thanks and another for the safety of the von Trapps.

**-- **

At almost one in the morning, Ehren came to my home. He sat down dejectedly in a chair and stared at the floor without saying a word.

"I take it they got away?" I said at length.

"Yes," he sighed.

"Don't you wonder," I began slowly, "If they were willing to risk everything to resist the Third Reich, maybe they're in the right?"

For a while he was silent, and I worried that I had gone too far. Then, he turned his grey eyes back up at me.

"Maybe," he said, taking my hand, "Maybe they are."


End file.
